Never Alone
by Amari412
Summary: One shot fic based on my story Too Far Gone. When a close friend of theirs is killed in an accident, Vance goes to check on Sirena to find she's not taking it well. What can be done to make it better and will a secret Sirena's kept come to light? Light OC/OC, dedicated to Paul Walker, please read and review


**Never Alone  
By: Amari412**

_Author's Note, part 1. Hey guys, I'm back with a somewhat long Balto one shot. This is dedicated to the late and great Paul Walker and to all those he's left behind. I know, I know this isn't a Fast and Furious fic, but to be honest, I've only seen a couple of them. So anyway, this about brought me to tears while typing it, and I just came up with it on a whim. Vance is only starting to lose his sight in this, so his friend's death is one of the last things he's seen. But anyway, hope you guys like and please try not to cry too much. _

It was a cold night, colder now than what he could remember. Little puffs of frost sprung from his feet with each step, the street getting darker the more he walked as the lights were killed.

Killed…

The lone figure, a German Shepherd-Malamute mix, shook his head in the oncoming darkness. He didn't want to think of that word. He didn't want to think of Death or anything related to it. He didn't want to say it. It didn't feel right in his head, tasted disgusting on his tongue so bad that it nearly made him gag. He shook his head, his brown-blue eyes blinking and stinging as he fought back an onslaught of tears he thought he'd been done shedding. He couldn't afford to be weak now, not when possibly someone else's life depended on it…

He could still hear the screeching of the tires, the loud howl of pain and the scream of his closest friend as the car struck him. They were sounds that would haunt him until he died, possibly even then. Sirena had been horrified, and she'd been locked away in her family's house since the officer's funeral and the funeral of his beloved dog, a German shepherd named Paul who'd been close to Vance and the rest of the Shades, despite being on total opposite ends of the law. Vance hadn't seen Sirena since the funeral, but even then it was only at a distance. Never before had he seen the young borzoi so decimated.

Vance blamed himself. It should've been him burned in that funeral pyre, or, at least more fitting for himself, left to rot in the street. Sirena wouldn't be suffering if it weren't for him. Paul would've been here to comfort her, to get her to stop crying. Besides, no one mourned the wicked, and, at least with the way the town saw him, Vance was no saint.

But he was gone. Paul was gone and he was never coming back. So now Erik was the only friend she had left on the force, but even so, that was slipping away. Vance was all she had now. He'd do his best, though he knew he'd never be enough. He growled lightly at himself and kept making his way towards the familiar house.

He sniffed around the doors, trying to find traces of his dear friend. The doors smelled cold, but faintly of her. She hadn't been around them recently. She was somewhere in the house. Vance had to be careful with the windows. If Sirena's humans caught him, he knew they'd turn him in and it would only upset the poor girl more. He half considered coming by at a different time. Maybe she wasn't ready to face him after what happened. Vance listened for the family to go to bed and made his way to the back window. In the window, he saw Sirena laying in her basket looking awfully thin. She hadn't eaten since the accident.

She was normally beautiful. Even by his standards she still was, but it was her strength that made her most appealing to him. But that strength, that grace was gone now, just like Paul. All that was left of his Sirena, at least for the time being, was a shell. He clawed at the wooden window frame lightly to catch her attention. The borzoi looked up with her sad brown eyes and sighed.

Sirena struggled to her feet and made her way over to the window which she opened with a little difficulty. The two canines were almost nose to nose now.

"Hey" he said in the softest tone he could muster, "You okay?"  
"What's it look like?" she asked.  
"Sirena…I'm sorry".  
"You're sorry?! You said the Shades look out for one another! Where were you when he needed you?!"  
"I tried to stop him, I tried to pull him back, really Sirena I did! I'm sorry! What more do you want me to say?! What more do you want me to do?!"  
"You could die! Sacrifice your life so I could get him back!"  
Vance shook his head. "You don't mean that".

She moved away from the window and Vance feared she was going to leave him with that. To his surprise, she managed to meet him out in the backyard. He got away from the window, just a few feet away from her, a respectful distance. He watched her in the dark.

"What do you want?" she asked finally.  
"I came to see you. I haven't seen you since the funeral and I thought-"  
"Oh so now you decide to care?! When I lose someone that I love that's when I get your attention?!"  
"Sirena-"  
"No! For the past few months I've been dying to hear something good from you…something…something I know you'll never say…not to me. Not for me…never".  
"What is it you want me to say?"  
"It…" Sirena's ears fell back around her head, "It doesn't matter anymore…If you don't know it's not even worth it".

Vance decided it'd be best to change the subject. He noticed that she was getting thin and it disturbed him.

"You haven't been eating…"  
"I've taken a couple bites here and there".  
"It's not enough. Sirena, this isn't what Paul would want-"  
"Does it matter anymore what he wants?! He doesn't want or need anything! He's not here!"  
"But starving yourself won't bring him back either! You need help, Sirena and that's why I'm here! You don't have to mourn alone!"  
"So you expect me to just come over there and cry on your shoulder?!"  
"Well if it'd help you to eat again then yes! I'm worried about you, Sirena. Your family is worried about you! Don't you care about them, about me?"

The borzoi turned away from him. He saw her shudder and let out a dry sob. He didn't move, but he wanted to. He just wanted to pull her in close and just let her cry. She needed someone to talk to and he was there, just as he always was. At last she spoke.

"You have no idea…You don't know…You never will".  
"What is it? Sirena, talk to me. That's why I'm here".  
"And then what?! Once you know" she turned her head and faced him, "You'll judge me, you'll say how wrong I am, how…disgusting I am".  
"Disgusting? Wrong? Sirena I could never say anything like that to you" Vance got bolder and slowly started making his way toward her.

He saw her face, and a single tear slid down her cheek. He was quick to lick it away. She turned to face him with a surprised expression. All Vance could do was give her a soft, sympathetic look.

"You need to eat, Sirena. But now I'm here and I know what you need. You need to talk, to give your pain a voice, give it your voice and I'll do whatever I can to help" Vance reassured her as he lied down.

Sirena curled up next to him just as she had when she was smaller, when he'd first met her. She tucked her head under his, letting his steady breathing calm her. He wanted to know what she felt, he'd listen, not judge. It wasn't his place.

"He's gone…" she finally said, "And yeah, I'm hurting, but…it would've been worse if I'd lost you. I'm sorry, Vance. No amount of comfort could help me get over you, it never will".  
"So you didn't mean what you said before?"  
"A part of me did, but…I would've been much worse. I loved Paul, but…nobody could ever replace you, Vance".  
"It's gonna be okay, I promise" he told her, "I'm not going anywhere".  
"But you're sick…"  
"I'll be okay. Just trust me. Can you do that?"  
Sirena nodded. "Yeah, of course I can".  
"That's all I can ask of you for now, besides to get yourself back together. And hey, if it's any help, I would've been devastated if it'd been you".  
Sirena nuzzled his neck lightly. "Could you sing something for me?".  
"Anything".  
"I'm not picky, I just want to hear you sing".

Vance had to think for a bit. What sort of songs did one sing in a situation like this? There was one song that he thought would be okay. It was a love duet, but for the most part, it was meant to comfort. Maybe she knew it…

"No more talk of darkness. Forget these wide eyed fears. I'm here. Nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom. Let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you" Vance licked her head softly.  
"Say you'll love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you".  
"Let me be your shelter. Let me be your light. You're safe, no one will find you. Your fears are far behind you".

Sirena got up, looked up at the sky and back at her mentor thoughtfully. She continued the song with a much more peaceful air and Vance knew it was working.

"All I want is freedom. A world with no more night, and you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me".  
Vance smiled and got up as well. "Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too…Sirena, that's all I ask of you".  
"Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you".

They faced each other, and Sirena couldn't remember a time she'd been so happy. There was still a pain in her heart for Paul, but Vance…he was still here. Her mentor, her closest friend, and the one person she felt most dear to her. They continued together, coming closer, almost touching noses.

"Share each day with me. Each night, each morning".  
"Say…you love me…" Sirena looked at him pleadingly, genuinely wanting him to say it, and mean it.  
"You know I do".  
"Love me, that's all I ask of you!"

She put her head on his shoulder in a canine embrace, just enjoying his closeness. It just felt nice to have him close. After a moment he broke free from her and they looked in each other's eyes.

"Anywhere you go, let me go too! Love me, that's all I ask of you…".

After a moment Vance looked at her again and saw her smiling. He smiled back.

"You're gonna be okay. I know it".  
"Thanks to you…But…I still miss him so much".  
"The pain's never gonna go away. The pleasure of love lasts only a moment, but the pain of love lasts a lifetime".  
Sirena licked his cheek. "Thank you, for coming over I mean. I really needed it".  
"I know you did. Now get yourself back together. Eat something".  
"Will you be back tomorrow?" she asked with hope evident in her voice.

The shepherd-malamute grinned a little. Didn't she know that he always came back?

"I'll always come back. But I gotta head out before someone hears us. Remember, get your strength back. We'll need it".

Sirena nodded and watched with another pang in her heart as her mentor walked away. When he was out of hearing range, Sirena whined lightly.

"It was just a song…Someone so perfect…he could never love someone like you…"

But she'd get stronger, for his sake and in the memory of the other dog who now and always would have her heart.

_Author's note, part 2. Yeah wasn't as sad as I'd hoped it'd be, but you gotta admit, it does make you feel a little bad for Sirena. Anyway, I might go back to doing Too Far Gone here soon because of this story. I don't own the song featured in this fic, All I Ask Of You. This beautiful song belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber and I hope you guys liked this. Rest In Peace Paul Walker, you are greatly, greatly missed.  
-Amari412_


End file.
